


As Easy as Pulling a Rabbit out of a Hat

by F1_rabbit



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Always a Different Sex, F/F, Illusions, Magic Tricks, Magical Realism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-12
Updated: 2018-03-12
Packaged: 2019-03-30 13:05:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13952163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/F1_rabbit/pseuds/F1_rabbit
Summary: Jo’s mum has left her to carry on her business after her death, but apart from a few card tricks, Jo knows nothing about putting on a magic show, and she’s only got four weeks to learn…





	As Easy as Pulling a Rabbit out of a Hat

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Fleurykat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fleurykat/gifts).



> This was meant to be part of Femslash February, and then it got long :P

Jo slumped against the bar, the alcohol sloshing through her veins, and she batted away the hand that kept nudging her.

“Jo, you have to come.” Will’s voice was sobering, and tears streamed down her face. “And you can’t show up like this to mum’s funeral.”

She had thought that this day couldn’t get any worse, but hearing Will sounding so worried, she realised that she’d made it worse for everyone.

*

They had time to stop for coffee, Will making her drink a quadruple expresso shot before handing her a sweet latte in a takeaway cup.

“You can drink it in the car.” Will looked tired, and sad, but worst of all he looked disappointed in her, and she wished that there was something she could do to change that.

They drove in silence to the church, and Jo sobbed quietly, tears streaming down her cheeks as Will rested his hand on her knee.

“I’m sorry, Jo. I know you’ve been going through a bad patch, but I promised dad that you would be there, and he’d be crushed if you didn’t show.

“I’m so sorry.” And she was, sorry that he had to deal with this alone, sorry that he had to look after her, and most of all, sorry that she wasn’t there to support him when he needed her the most.

“No matter what happens, I’ll always be by your side.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

*

The funeral was a blur, distant relatives all telling her how sorry they were, but she was sure that no-one felt as sorry as she did.

Seeing the pity in everyone’s eyes hurt the most. And not just because it was her mum’s funeral.

She was thirty, unemployed, and living on her best friend Alex’s sofa.

Jo sniffed back the tears as someone reached out to hold her hand, and she looked down to see Alex standing there.

It was nice to see someone who didn’t look disappointed in her.

“I’m going to drive you to the lawyer’s office.”

“I’m not going.” Jo couldn’t face any more of this, she wanted to go home and curl up in a ball until she sobered up enough to really cry about it all.

“You have to be there for the reading of the will.”

“I’m the black sheep of the family, remember?”

“They’ll still want you there.” Alex sounded so sure, and Jo wondered what it would be like to have faith in people.

“I’m not sure I can take it.”

“I’ll be there to hold your hand.” Alex gave her hand a little squeeze, and she wondered what she had done in a past life to deserve someone as kind and caring as him. Not that she believed in reincarnation, but sometimes it was easier to blame her misfortunes on unknown cosmic forces, rather than having to look at her own choices.

“Thank you.”

*

Alex was living up to his promise, even though there weren’t quite enough seats in the lawyer’s office for all six of them, so he was perched half on the arm of the chair, and half on her lap.

She’d been the last to arrive, although she was glad that Alex had stopped for coffee on the way, since it was all that was keeping her awake right now.

Her brain was having none of it though, and she found her mind wandering as she tried to keep her eyes open.

It wasn’t until she heard her name that her mind clicked back in, and she forced herself to focus.

“And to my daughter, Josephina Carlyle Palmer, I leave my entire business, on the condition that she is to carry on in my place.”

Jo burst out laughing, leaving the lawyer looking confused, and she couldn’t stop laughing even though she was clearly upsetting everyone.

In the end, the laughter bubbled over into tears, and Alex held her as she cried, a week’s worth of misery pouring out of her.

She’d assumed that Will would take over, since he designed all of the props for the illusions, but for some reason mum had decided that she was the woman for the job.

And she had no idea why.

***

It took Jo two days to sober up, a lot of which was spent crying on the floor, although it had motivated her to vacuum Alex’s flat, so it was a win of sorts.

Alex had offered to come with her to the warehouse where all of her mother’s illusions lived when she wasn’t touring, but she felt like this was something that she had to do alone.

The old padlock was rusty, and she had to wiggle the key to get it to turn. Brushing her hands off on her jeans, she was glad that she was wearing dirty clothes, although that wasn’t intentional, she just hadn’t got round to doing the laundry yet.

Pulling the heavy door open, the sight of her mum’s illusions covered up with blankets had her sniffing back the tears, and she wished that she’d taken Alex up on his offer to keep her company.

Wandering around the warehouse, she felt a shiver run down her spine, like her mum was watching over her, and the tears fell silently down her cheeks.

After looking around for a while she realised that she didn’t really know what went on behind the scenes of her mum’s act, and that everything was way more complicated than it looked.

In the end, she sat on the floor, sobbing quietly as she wished that she’d taken up her mum’s implicit offer of a job while she was still alive to show her the ropes.

But she’d always been stubborn, it was both her strength and her weakness.

Jo took a breath, she couldn’t spend all day on the floor, and if her pounding headache was anything to go by, it was coffee time.

She was looking around for the padlock and chain when someone stepped out of the shadows, and Jo squeaked in fright, her heart pounding with such force that she was worried it might break a rib.

Once the initial shock had worn off she could see that it was just Will, holding his hands up in apology, but that didn’t stop her clutching at her heart like a drama queen.

Will mumbled something, but it wasn’t until she calmed down a little that she was able to speak.

“What are you doing here?”

“Hi, Jo, nice to see you.” Will shook his head, and Jo felt even guiltier than before.

“Sorry, bro.”

“I texted you to say that I was bringing mum’s assistant by. Isn’t that why you’re here?”

Jo patted her pocket, pulling out her uncharged phone that hadn’t been switched on since the funeral.

“Sorry.” Jo shrugged, looking around for another person, but she couldn’t see anyone. She’d always assumed that Will was her assistant. “So, when are they coming by?”

Will smiled, scurrying over to the door where a pet carrier was sitting, and Jo felt her heart sink. She’d forgotten that mum used a live animal in her act. A rabbit, because where would a magician be without at least one rabbit-based illusion.

“I present to you, Dani the rabbit.” Will opened up the travel crate to reveal a white rabbit with black and brown spots, mostly on her ears and around her eyes, with a few dotted over her back, as though someone had tried to pick her up with dirty hands.

“Dani.” Jo snorted in laughter, and the rabbit thumped, her displeasure clear.

It was going to be a long day.

“Isn’t she meant to all white?” Jo reached out to stroke the rabbit, but she changed her mind when she saw the way that Dani was glaring at her with wide eyes.

“The spots do make it harder to create a fake rabbit, but it helps the audience believe that the illusions are real.”

“I still don’t know why mum left this all to me, you should be the one to take over from her.” Jo shook her head, and Will compressed his lips, reaching out to hold her hand as Dani rabbit peered out of her crate.

“Mum wouldn’t have left this to you if she didn’t think that you weren’t capable of carrying on in her place.”

“Why didn’t she tell me that when she was alive then?”

“You know she didn’t want to force any of us to follow in her footsteps, the same way that dad tried not to force any of us to be doctors.”

Jo snorted in laughter, both her sisters were doctors, despite dad trying to scare them all away from medicine for as long as she could remember.

“You’re here now, and that’s all that matters.” Will petted Dani, and she seemed happy to soak up the attention, but Jo could tell that Will had something on his mind. “The show is due to go on tour at the start of March.”

“That’s four weeks away.”

“I know.” Will looked around for a seat, grabbing one out from under the dust covers, and Jo slumped down against the workbench.

“I don’t think I can do it.”

“I think you can. And mum definitely thought you could.” Will paused, and Dani stood on her hind legs as though she was backing him up. “And it’s not like you’re doing anything else right now.”

“I know, but to learn mum’s whole show in a month isn’t going to be easy.”

“When has anything worth doing ever been easy?” Will smiled, and Jo knew that there was no way she was going to be able to say no to whatever suggestion he had. “I’ll tell you what, if by the start of March you decide that you don’t want to do this, I’ll do the show in your place.”

Jo put her hand out for Will to shake, and she couldn’t stop a little smile from crossing her face.

“You’ve got a deal.”

***

Two weeks later she wondered what on earth her mum was thinking when she decided that Jo should follow in her footsteps. She’d mastered a lot of the basic card tricks without batting an eyelid, but she’d been doing them since she was a child, and she’d used it quite effectively to get laid in uni.

But the big illusions were a different beast entirely. They required some serious skill, and Jo wasn’t sure that a month was anywhere near enough time to master enough so that they weren’t a complete failure.

One trick in particular was proving way harder than Jo thought it would be, and she wondered if she really needed a rabbit in her trick.

She could just keep Dani as a pet and put another card trick in her place.

Although at this rate it was going to be an entire show of card tricks and mentalist-style acts, with no big illusions. And if years as a magician’s daughter had taught her anything, it was that every show needed a showstopper.

“If you’ve got any advice, I’m sure I could make some raisins appear for you.”

Dani sniffed at her hand, snaffling up the raising that Jo had hidden between her fingers, and she stroked the back of her neck, the soft fur calming Jo as she psyched herself up to try the trick again.

“This is going to be the time, I can feel it.”

Dani scurried into the hidden compartment under the table, and Jo placed the hat over the secret hatchway, ready for the trick to start.

It should have been simple. A little bit of showing off with the hat, place it on the table, lift Dani out of her hidden compartment, and then revel in the applause.

But every time Jo tried to grab hold of Dani, she ended up making it look strange and unnatural, as though she was reaching into a hidden compartment to get her.

It had to look seamless, like Dani had magically appeared in the hat, but no matter how hard Jo practiced, she couldn’t do it.

She pulled Dani out, holding her as though she was the lion king, and all was going well until Jo knocked the hat, revealing the hatch underneath.

Jo groaned, placing Dani down on the table, and she wasn’t the only one who was sick of rehearsing.

Dani was getting increasingly huffy, and her harmless little nips that told Jo she was pushing her luck were starting to have some force behind them.

“One more attempt and then lunch, okay?” Jo wasn’t sure why she was talking to the rabbit, but it was lonely here in the warehouse.

Dani hopped into position, and Jo took a deep breath, shaking out her arms as she focused on making her movements look effortless.

Reaching into the hat, she felt Dani’s ears, and she wondered if that was the trick to it. She yanked Dani up, but the second Dani let out a pained squeak she let go of her, dropping her on to the table with a thud.

Jo could see that Dani was seriously pissed at her, and she tried to comfort her, but Dani just cowered in a ball, her rabbit body tense and ready for a fight.

“I’m sorry, little rabbit.”

A cloud of glitter and fur exploded out from where Dani had been sitting, and Jo stumbled backwards, falling on her bum as she stared in disbelief.

The smoke cleared to reveal a woman, a very naked woman, sitting where Dani had been only moments ago.

“Sorry!” The woman snorted, and it reminded Jo of when Dani the rabbit was huffy. “You just yanked me out of a hat, by my ears, which are delicate by the way, and now you think sorry will fix that?”

“You’re… you’re the rabbit?”

Jo fainted.

She came round to see Will sitting next to her, gently slapping her face as he waved a cup of coffee under her nose.

“I was just about to call dad.”

“I’m fine, I think I’ve been working too hard.” Jo rolled on to her side as she reached out for the coffee, and Will helped her hold the cup.

“Will coffee make it all better?”

“Yes, thank you.” Jo sat up, the world still spinning around her. “I swear that I saw the rabbit turn into a woman.”

“I did.”

Jo jumped at the sound of Dani’s voice, sploshing coffee everywhere, and Will rushed to clear it up.

Dani smirked, and then it dawned on Jo.

“Nice trick guys.” Jo shook her head. “You really got me.”

“It wasn’t a trick.” Will sat down beside Jo, reaching out to hold her free hand. “Dani, show her.”

“Cover your eyes.”

“You know that I’m gay.”

“Don’t care, be a gentleman and avert your gaze.” Dani waited until Will had closed his eyes before sliding off the dressing gown that she was wearing, the sheer satin falling to the floor as if by magic, and Jo’s eyes lingered on Dani’s small pert breasts before she looked away. “Are you watching?”

Jo made sure she was looking at Dani’s eyes as she towered over her, a smile on her face that said she was going enjoy whatever happened next.

Her heart was pounding in her ears, although it appeared that nothing had happened, Dani was still human.

But her skin did look furrier than before, and her ears were extending out in front of Jo’s eyes.

She whimpered in fright, scurrying back as she watched Dani’s body transforming until she was just a little ball of fluff nuzzling against Jo’s hand.

Jo shook in fear, her mind screaming at her to run, but she couldn’t move a muscle.

All she wanted was a minute to think, for everything to stop.

Jo took a breath, her body trembling as she looked at Will for support, but he was still sitting with his eyes closed, oblivious to what was going on less than a metre away.

“Fuck.” Jo nudged Will, trying to get him to open his eyes, but it was no use. Whatever was going on, he was clearly in on it, and she didn’t know who else to trust.

Dani stood on her hind legs, and Jo squeaked in fright before stumbling to her feet, knocking over everything in her path as she headed towards the door. She had no idea where she was going to go, but she had to get out of here.

Flinging the door open, it clattered against the wall with such force that Jo jumped at the noise, and when her ears stopped ringing she realised that something was wrong.

Everything was silent. Not just quiet, but actually silent apart from the sound of her breathing.

There was no traffic, no birds, no sirens.

Either something was wrong with her ears, or something was wrong with the world.

She stood frozen for a second, hoping that it was a trick of her mind, and that was when she noticed the seagulls in the corner of the car park. Seagulls couldn’t stand still if their lives depended on it, and one of them… one of them had been mid-flight when everything stopped.

Jo fell to the ground, rocking in a ball, and when something prodded her elbow she screamed.

Dani was sitting there, her whiskers twitching as she looked up at Jo.

“What the hell is going on?”

Dani reappeared in her human form, and Jo felt dizzy with the lack of sound, curling up into a ball as Dani held her. Jo was no longer bothered by how naked she was, compared to everything else it didn’t matter, and she felt tears streaming down her face.

“I’m crazy, aren’t I?”

“No.” Dani’s voice was soft, and for the first time since they’d met, Jo felt calm around her.

“This is why your mum left the show to you.” Dani stroked Jo’s back, and Jo cuddled in closer. “You have magic in your blood, just like I do.”

“That’s why Will’s frozen?”

“Yes, he’s just an ordinary human.” Dani smiled, brushing Jo’s hair away from her face as she sat up. “He’s good at making the tricks look possible, but he couldn’t do what your mum did.”

“This is all crazy.”

“I know it’s a lot to take in.” Dani reached out for Jo’s hand, giving it a little squeeze as she sat back. “Your mum always planned on telling you one day, she was just waiting for you to show an interest in magic.”

That had the tears flowing all over again, and Jo cried until her eyes burned and her throat was raw.

“I’m sorry.” Dani stroked her hair, oblivious to the chill in the air. “You should unfreeze time before you burn yourself out.”

“I… I don’t know how.”

Dani stood up, helping Jo to her feet as she strolled back into the warehouse, brushing the dirt from her bum.

Jo followed without a word, she was way out of her depth and she knew it.

Will was still frozen exactly where they’d left him, his hands covering his eyes as though he was playing hide and seek.

Dani grabbed the dressing gown before sitting on the floor, and she patted the ground for Jo to sit next to her.

Jo snorted in laughter, shaking her head as though she expected to wake up and find out it was all a dream. “Do I have to say something?”

“No, although it might help you focus.” Dani reached out to hold Jo’s hands, staring into her eyes. “I can use my powers to help you, but you’re going to have to learn how to control yours.”

Jo nodded, and Dani’s kindness made the tears start flowing again.

Taking a deep breath, she focused on time flowing again, birds flying and traffic rumbling along.

Will started breathing again, the air whistling through his hands that were still covering his face, and Jo reached out to hold his wrist, peering into his eyes as though she was checking for head injuries.

“Are you okay?” Will wiped a tear from her cheek with her thumb, and she was sure that she looked even worse than before she’d frozen time. “Do you believe in magic now?”

“I do.”

“Good, because it’s the only way that the show can go on.”

“I think we should take Jo home, she’s exhausted from using her powers.” Dani looked paler now, the effort of shifting so many times clear from the bags under her eyes.

“Of course.” Will threw Dani a gym bag, and she rushed to pull on a pair of joggers and a hoodie, slipping on her trainers as Will helped Jo to her feet. “Dani, can you lock up?”

Dani grabbed the keys, switching off the lights as Will helped Jo to the car, and Jo was relieved not to have to get the bus. Knowing her luck she’d have fallen asleep and ended up in the middle of nowhere by accident.

They drove in silence, there wasn’t much to say after that, and Jo couldn’t quite shake the feeling that it was all an elaborate prank.

“I think I should stay with Jo for a few days, just until she gets used to having powers.” Dani didn’t seem to be talking to anyone in particular, and Jo wondered if Will had told Dani about her current living situation.

“I’m kind of sleeping on my best friend’s sofa, and I’m not sure he’d be impressed if there were any more guests.” Jo hung her head, but Dani didn’t look at her with pity, so that was a win of sorts.

“Fine, you can stay with me for now.” Dani slipped her phone out of her bag, texting away in a language that Jo didn’t understand.

“I’ll swing by Alex’s so that Jo can grab her stuff,” Will said, “And then I’ll take you home.”

“Thank you, both of you.”

“It’s a shock finding out that you have powers, but it’ll all be okay, I promise.” Dani rested her hand on Jo’s knee, and she wanted to believe it.

*

Dani’s place was small and tidy, the walls lined with books of all shapes and sizes, some of them clearly antique. It made Jo feel like she was back at university, cramming for exams and rushing to finish coursework.

“Where’s your spare room?”

“It’s a one bedroom flat.” Dani shrugged, and Jo felt conflicted, she didn’t want to be a burden. “It’s up to you if you want to share the bed or if you’d rather sleep on the sofa.”

“Erm…” Jo yawned, even though the sun had set it was still early, and she did like the sound of sleeping on an actual bed for a change.

“There’s no wrong answer.” Dani took Jo’s bags, dumping them in the bedroom before gesturing to the sofa. “You’ve already seen me naked, and it’s probably not going to be the last time.”

“I’m sorry about all that.” Jo hung her head as she sat down, and Dani made herself comfy next to her.

“Next time you lift me by my ears, I will bite you. Consider yourself warned.” Dani smiled, and Jo felt her stomach twist into knots, the sound of rabbit Dani squeaking would be forever etched into her mind.

“I’m so sorry.” Jo felt the tears running down her cheeks, the day had been long and tiring, and she hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday.

“It’s going to be okay.” Dani held Jo, her nose nuzzling at her cheek the same as she did when she was a rabbit. “I can’t believe your mum never told you about any of this, it’s going to be a steep learning curve.”

Jo took a deep breath, she had to pull herself together, she had to make sure that the show was ready to go on the road at the start of March. Not for herself, or even for her mum, but for the one person that she really didn’t want to disappoint.

“Whatever needs to be done, I’ll do it. For Will.”

Dani smiled, and it made Jo feel warm and fuzzy inside. It had been too long since anyone looked proud of her. “Go get a shower while I order pizza, and then we’ll talk.”

“Aye aye, captain.”

Jo scurried in the direction of the bathroom, stopping only to get her pyjamas out of her bag, she was too tired to sit around in clothes that weren’t comfy.

The shower gave her some much-needed time to collect herself, the warm water easing away all the aches and pains, and by the time she stepped out, her skin was wrinkled but her soul felt lighter.

Dani was reading when Jo wandered back over to the sofa, curling up into a ball as Dani put her book down.

“I ordered pineapple on the pizza, but there’s still time for me to change it.”

“I don’t mind.” Jo shrugged, right now she’d eat whatever was placed in front of her. “I have an ex who likes kebab meat on pizza so I can’t judge.”

Dani wrinkled up her nose, and Jo smiled. She hadn’t spoken to Marcus in ages, and it would be nice to have some good news to tell him.

“How do you take your tea?” Dani pulled off the dishcloth that was covering the small tray, like a magician revealing a trick, and Jo let out a little sigh of happiness at the sight of a teapot, along with a tiny milk jug and a small sugar pot.

“Right now, milk and three sugars.”

“This is probably the rule I shouldn’t have to tell you, but you need to eat, and make sure that your body gets enough nutrients, because magic takes a lot of energy.”

Jo nodded, accepting the cup of tea with smile, and the first sip was like heaven.

“I keep chocolate bars in my handbag, along with nuts and dried fruit, but whatever works for you.”

“Will do.”

“You’ll get used to it, I promise.”

“Is this why only part of the show is magic?”

“Yes and no. If it was all magic it would feel like a con, but using just a little sprinkling of magic combined with the illusions… that’s enough to amaze the audience without arousing suspicion.”

“Why don’t people know about us?”

“The witch hunts weren’t the only time humans have decided that we’re all the devil’s children and deserved to be put to death.” Dani shivered, and Jo felt a chill run down her spine, all the fairy tales ended badly for those who weren’t human. “It’s easier to lurk in the shadows.”

The doorbell rang, making them both jump, and Jo wiped the sloshes of tea off her top, smiling as Dani rushed to answer the door.

She returned with two pizza boxes, and the smell of the warm bread and gooey cheese had Jo’s stomach rumbling.

“I hope you’re hungry.” Dani grinned, a smile so wide that it showed off all her teeth, and Jo could see her inner rabbit shining out.

“Ravenous.”

Jo ate until she was stuffed, Dani devouring the last slice as though she hadn’t just eaten most of a large pizza by herself.

“What are you thinking?” Dani nudged her hand, and Jo blinked as she came back to reality.

“I feel like I’ve known you for a long time.”

“It’s the same with all magical people.” Dani gave her hand a little squeeze, and Jo met her gaze, mesmerised by the way the flecks of hazel shone out, like the early tinges of autumn foliage surrounded by a forest of lush evergreens.

“Really?”

“That guy who you’re just drawn to? The woman who’s so beautiful she appears to be literally glowing? Probably all magical.”

“I never realised.”

“Most of them won’t either.”

That hit home, and Jo found herself mourning the loss of a community that she didn’t even know existed twenty-four hours ago.

***

Exhaustion and a food coma had given Jo her first solid night of sleep in weeks, and she woke up sprawled out on the sofa to find that Dani had draped a blanket over her.

The sun was streaming through a gap in the curtains, and Jo shielded her eyes, squinting as she sat up to see Dani curled up in a chair, reading a book. A different book to the one she had been reading last night, and Jo had no idea what it was called since the title was in Russian.

“What time is it?”

“Just gone eleven.”

Jo stretched and yawned, and Dani put her book down, uncurling her long legs as Jo watched in fascination. Having seen Dani only in her rabbit form for the last few weeks, it was even more noticeable how many rabbit-like things she did in her human form. Although maybe that was normal? Jo filed it away under things to ask later, after they’d got the show ready to go on tour.

“You should have woken me.”

“You needed the sleep, and the warehouse doesn’t have any neighbours, so it doesn’t matter what time we practice.”

“True.”

“There’s a café down the road that does the best pancakes, and coffee so strong you won’t sleep for days.”

“Sounds good.” Jo rushed to throw on some clothes, none of them were clean, but that didn’t matter if they were heading to the warehouse to rehearse.

“If you want to clean some of those, there’s a laundry room in the basement. It’s shared, but I’ve never had any problems with leaving clothes in there.”

“No-one else would fit into your clothes.” Jo snorted in laughter, throwing the filthiest of her clothes into a bin bag, and she felt a little bit more like a functioning adult just from that one simple act.

She hadn’t realised how much she missed having something to focus on, a goal to achieve, and in a fucked up way, she was glad that mum had left the show to her.

Even if she was still wrestling with the idea that she had magical powers. Hopefully once she got used to using them, she’d be able to convince the sceptical bit of her mind that it wasn’t a cruel joke that her brother was playing.

“Are you ready to go?” Dani pulled on her gloves and hat, and Jo was glad that her hoodie was thick and warm, with long sleeves that covered her hands.

Jo scraped her wild wavy hair into a rough bun, hoping that she looked vaguely human. “Let’s go.”

The washing machine was left to its own devices, and Jo felt good strolling down the road, the fresh air filling her with energy.

She could smell the café before she saw it, the sweetness wafting down the street and tempting customers, and Jo’s mouth was watering just from the thought of warm fluffy pancakes.

The little bell rang as they stepped into the café, Dani waving at the guy behind the counter, and that was all it took to have him scurrying over with two cups of coffee.

“Carlos, this is Jo.”

“Hi.”

“Hi.” Jo shook his hand, and she felt a spark when they touched.

“She’s taking over her mum’s act.” Dani gave her a sad smile, Jo hadn’t thought that Dani might be missing her mum as much as she was. Probably even more, since they’d worked together for years.

“I’m sorry for your loss.” Carlos rested his hand on her shoulder, and Jo knew then that he was magical. And not just because of the thick dark locks or the kind smile.

She saw it all, a beach on a cold winter’s day, the sun long since set as the fire roared higher and higher. The flames danced as Carlos waved his hands, snaking closer to the guy sitting on the sand, who watched him with wide eyes. Tiny sparks of flame caressed his cheek, making him smile, and he grinned as he beckoned Carlos with a crook of his finger, Carlos levitating through the air, floating closer until his lips were next to his.

Jo blinked, reality rushing back in as Dani’s hand rested on her arm, and she mumbled the words that seemed to be her automatic response right now.

“Thank you.”

Carlos poured them both a cup of coffee, and just the way that it oozed out of the pot told Jo that it was going to be strong.

“I’ll be right back with your pancakes.” Carlos’ smile felt like it radiated happiness, although if what Jo had seen was real, then he was powerful enough to make something like that happen.

“Thanks sweetie.” Dani winked at Carlos, and Jo felt a strange feeling bubbling under the surface. “You don’t have to be jealous of Carlos, it was a long time ago.”

_Are you a mind-reader now?_ Jo smiled as she thought the words, but Dani’s smirk wiped it straight off her face.

“Yes, but it doesn’t take special powers to see these.” Dani ran her fingers over the frown lines, and Jo took a breath as her skin tingled where Dani’s delicate fingers had brushed over her

“Sorry.” Jo hung her head, every time that she thought she was getting on Dani’s good side, she’d inevitably put her foot in it. And she wanted Dani to like her, since they were going to be working together.

Jo was glad that the pancakes arrived and stopped the conversation for a while. She wasn’t used to sharing everything with someone, not even Alex. Although they’d been friends for so long that they didn’t need words, just a lot of knowing looks and what sometimes felt like the power to read minds.

The first bite was like heaven, so soft and fluffy and they melted on her tongue, the sweetness like amber from the goddesses, and Jo savoured every single bite.

“Big plans for today?” Carlos asked, and Dani grinned.

“Today we are going to practice the art of pulling a rabbit out of a hat, but first, I need to stop for raisins.”

Dani heard no arguments about that.

*

Jo had a good feeling about it. With Dani’s help she knew that she could do this.

She no longer felt out of place in the warehouse, and the strange vibe she had sensed before was the magical energy flowing through the place.

“So, what special powers do I need to pull you out of a hat without hurting you?”

“Hold your hands like this.” Dani held her hands out as though she was scooping a plant out of a pot. “And then…” Dani disappeared in a puff of smoke and glitter, wriggling her way out of her hoodie before jumping into Jo’s hands, her whiskers twitching in a way that could only be described as smug.

“That’s it? You just hop into my hands?”

Dani hopped down on to the table before reappearing in her human form, and Jo fetched her a can of Red Bull while she threw her hoodie on.

“Yes, that’s all there is to it, and if you’d bothered to read any of the books that are neatly stored and organised on the shelf, you’d know that.” Dani pointed to the shelf like it was a prize on the Price is Right, and Jo knew that she must have been the one who arranged it.

“Oh.”

“Not everything is complicated.” Dani smiled, chugging down the last of the can. “And if it is complicated, it’s because Will designed it that way.”

Jo smiled, she had never realised how much Will did behind the scenes.

“Ready to try it?”

“Let’s do this.”

Now that Jo knew the trick, it didn’t take long for her to master it, recording it on her phone so she could see how it looked to the audience.

After a long day of practicing until it looked effortless, Jo sat down on the guillotine bench, waiting for Dani to return to her human form.

“Why didn’t you tell me all this in the beginning?”

“Could you have coped with the fact that magic is real?” Dani took the square of chocolate from Jo’s hand, and Jo saw the moment of hesitation when she thought about picking it up with her mouth. “Or would it have just broken you?”

“Point taken.” Jo wasn’t sure that she was really coping with it now, so much as just ignoring it. “Why are you being so nice to me?”

“Because even though you lifted me by my ears, you’ve got a kind soul. I can feel it.”

“Really?”

“And without you, I’m unemployed. I need this show to be a success every bit as much as you do.”

Jo nodded, she hadn’t thought about what she would do if she couldn’t carry on the show. Will would make sure that it survived, with or without her, but Dani, she couldn’t do her trick in rabbit form without a magician.

“We’ll make it work, I promise.”

*

“So… you and Carlos?” Jo propped herself up on the pillows, it had seemed childish to refuse Dani’s offer of sharing her nice comfy bed when she’d spent most of the day naked around her.

“Nosy, aren’t we?”

“I’ll tell you all about my one and only ex-boyfriend, if you tell me about Carlos?”

“We went to high school together, he’s like a brother to me, a very tanned and good-looking brother.” Dani stuck her tongue out, and Jo felt at ease.

Dani rolled over so that she was facing Jo, her hair falling around her face as she propped herself up on a slender elbow.

Her grin shone out, and Jo knew that she was in for a lot of questions. “So, your ex, is this the Alex that I’ve been hearing so much about?”

“No, no, no.” Jo laughed, shaking her head as though it would push the thought away. “Our dads are friends, they used to race together before we were born, so we pretty much grew up together.”

“What does Alex do?”

“He races, like his dad.”

“Glamorous.” Dani yawned, pulling the blanket up over her shoulders.

“Not really, it’s a lot of airports and travelling, but he loves it.” Jo let her head rest on the pillow, her secrets pouring out now that her mind was winding down. “I was going to race too, but a quad bike accident put an end to all that.” She looked down at the pillow, her scar itchy now that she was thinking about it.

“So, this ex of yours?” Dani raised an eyebrow, and Jo bit at her lip, she was hoping that Dani would have forgotten about that.

“Marcus.” Jo smiled just from the mention of his name. “He came here to study for a year, and we were inseparable.”

“What happened?”

“He went home.” Jo shrugged, which was awkward lying down, but Dani seemed to get the meaning. “We’re still friends, but sometimes I wonder what could have been.”

“It’s the what if’s that will always get you in the end.” Dani’s eyelids drooped, her muscles relaxing as she drifted off to sleep, and Jo wondered what would have happened if she’d actually taken an interest in magic before now.

Would her and Dani be more than friends?

***

Eleven days and counting to the show, and Jo had mastered all the little things, but she still couldn’t control her powers.

Not without looking suspicious or taking so long to do it that they might as well have just performed the trick without using actual magic.

“We can practice the backup illusion, it doesn’t need magic,” Will said, and Jo let out a sigh, Dani wandering off to make yet another cup of tea for her.

“It’ll be okay, I promise.” Dani rested her hand on Jo’s shoulder, giving her a little smile as she offered Jo the cup, the wisps of steam transforming into a rabbit standing on their hind legs.

“Thank you.” Jo tried not to respond to Will’s smug look, that knowing grin that said he was enjoying her awkwardness around Dani.

The tea was calming, but she just couldn’t focus, the worries taking over before she could transport herself.

“Maybe we should try something smaller first?” Dani crouched down in front of her, holding her hand as Will winked at her, and when Jo didn’t speak Dani gave her hand a squeeze. “How about transporting a cup from the table over there?”

Jo pictured the cup in her hand, visualised it appearing, and the hairs on her arm stood on end, the energy surging through her as the cup appeared in mid-air, before promptly smashing to the ground, shards of ceramic lying in a puddle of tea that oozed out like blood.

“Fuck.” Jo rested her head in her hands as Will sniggered, and Jo wanted to cry.

“I think that’s time to call it a day.” Dani glared at Will, and at least he looked apologetic, going to clear up the mess without argument.

Jo felt the exhaustion washing over her, and Dani slipped her arm around her waist, leading her out to the car as Jo cuddled in, happy to be close to Dani. She dozed for most of the journey home, resting against Dani’s shoulder, pretending not to see Will’s smile every time that he glanced at them in the rear-view mirror.

Will had left them at the door, and Jo could barely manage to mumble the words thank you, although she knew that they were going to have to talk soon. She never could keep secrets from him, and if he wasn’t careful Dani was going to find out before then since he wasn’t exactly being subtle.

Dani made dinner, pasta that was quick and filling, which was exactly what she needed. She almost purred with happiness when Dani curled up on the sofa with her, both of them snuggled together under the blanket as the tv played in the background.

“Are you watching?” Dani nudged Jo with her foot, and Jo smiled. “Penn and Teller are the best for a reason.”

“This is a lot less impressive now that I know magic exists.”

Dani laughed, a deep chuckle that rumbled through her. “They’re human, that’s why they’re so impressive.”

“Wow.”

“Yeah.” Dani grinned, delighting in Jo’s amazement.

“Is that why you wanted me to see this?” Jo reached out to hold Dani’s hand, intertwining their fingers as Dani shook her head.

“No, they’re just really good illusionists.”

***

Curled up on the sofa after a long of day of rehearsing, Jo felt at ease. Her and Dani had settled into a nice routine, both at work and at home, and there were times when she could almost believe that they were dating. Almost.

But there was no rest for the wicked. Jo had to get control of her magical powers before the show started, and time was running out fast.

“Visualise what you want to happen.”

Jo scrunched her eyes shut, her fists clenched tight as she tried to picture being in the bedroom, but it was no use. She was still sitting on the sofa.

“I think you’re trying too hard.”

Jo sighed, she wished that she had more time to practice, she wanted the show to be a success. But time was not her friend right now.

There was only five days left before the opening night, and tomorrow they started full rehearsals at the theatre.

“How did you get control of your powers?”

“I’ve been doing this since I was thirteen, and it took a lot of trial and error.” Dani’s eyes went wide, and Jo was sure that there were a lot of stories there.

“Oh.”

“You will get there, you just need to set realistic expectations.”

“Which one thing is most useful to the show?” Jo knew the answer before Dani even opened her mouth, but she wanted to hear it from someone else.

“The one that’s the hardest. Teleportation.”

“I had a feeling that you were going to say that.” Jo hadn’t managed to move more than two metres on her own, and with the amount of time and energy it took her to do that, she would have been quicker walking.

“Sorry.”

“Levitation would be useful if you could master that.” Dani smiled, and Jo took a deep breath, imagining herself on the stage, the crowd cheering for her as she hovered above them.

But when she opened her eyes, she saw that she was only inches above the sofa. Sighing, she landed back down on the sofa with a bump, shaking her head in frustration.

She would have given anything just to have a few more days.

The silence took her by surprise, and Jo remembered the last time that the world had been this quiet.

“Everything’s frozen.”

“That’s a start.” Dani’s smile was strained, she’d been putting a brave face on it all, but the nerves were starting to show through.

Jo bit her lip, now that she had peace from the constant roar of the city outside, she felt like the fog had cleared in her mind.

“What are the odds of audience members having magical powers?”

“Slim, and none of them would reveal your secret.” Dani shrugged, secrecy was the unspoken agreement between those with magic in their blood.

“So… I could freeze time instead of teleporting?”

“For a little while, the last thing we want is people getting bored.”

“True.”

“Could you teleport?” Jo felt like she could see all the possibilities stretched out in front of her, like a magic eye picture revealing its hidden image.

“In rabbit form? Or human?”

“Either.” Jo could see it now, a mad scientist sending her unsuspecting victim through a portal with sparks flying out of it.

“Yes, but that doesn’t help with the trick.”

“It does if I have an assistant that I ‘send’ through the teleportation device.”

“Your mum never had an assistant, not a human one anyway.” Dani’s smile faded, and Jo reached out to comfort her. “She said, ‘that her tricks spoke for themselves.’”

“But I’m not her, and you would be my partner, rather than my assistant.”

Dani grinned, her eyes lighting up at the idea of being on stage, and Jo could imagine her basking in the glow of the crowd.

“You want me to be the Teller to your Penn?”

“Yes.”

***

Will didn’t even bat an eyelid at the fact that they needed the props altered only hours before the first rehearsal.

Dani was effortlessly graceful as both human and rabbit, and Will seemed impressed by the new take on the tricks, almost as much as he was enjoying teasing Jo.

“Making it a two-person act is inspired.” Will sipped at his cup of tea, and Jo nodded, her mind focusing on the seemingly never-ending list of things that needed to be done before the opening curtain.

“I’m glad you think so.” Jo breathed a sigh of relief, right now she had only one goal, put on a show that would amaze people.

“Dani looks good in a suit.” Will gave her a nudge, and Jo blushed, since she’d spent a little too much time admiring Dani.

“She didn’t want to be the assistant in a skimpy dress.”

“I don’t blame her, old theatres are really draughty and cold.” Will chuckled to himself, his breath hanging in the air as spoke.

There was a moment of silence, and Jo could feel how momentous the occasion was. In less than a month, she had pulled herself together, and got the show ready to go on tour.

“I’m so proud of you.” Will sat his coffee down, and Jo shook her head,

“I couldn’t have done this without you and Dani.”

“You two work well as partners.” Will’s grin said it all, and Jo wanted to tell him everything, but she could hear Dani’s footsteps out on the stage.

“It’s not like that.”

“But you want it to be like that?”

Jo spluttered, her lips flapping like a malfunctioning robot, and Will grinned as though he’d won the argument.

“Hey, are you ready to practice ‘the floating princess’?” Dani paused, staring at Jo and then Will, clearly sensing the tension in the air.

“Yeah, I’m coming.” Jo put her arm around Dani, leading her back towards the stage. Out the corner of her eye she saw Will mouthing the words ‘just tell her’ but luckily Dani didn’t see it.

Dani stared at her, but Jo didn’t know what to say, right now the only thing that mattered was the show, and everything else was going to have to wait.

***

The stage was set, and the low rumble of the audience chatting away echoed around the theatre, emphasising just how big the place was.

“Are you ready to do this?” Dani looked into her eyes, but even Dani’s smile couldn’t calm her.

Jo felt her stomach churn, the nerves giving way to dizziness, and for a horrible moment she thought that she was going to faint.

Dani gave her hand a squeeze, and Jo felt her radiating calmness.

“Neat trick.” Jo took a deep breath, her heart rate slowing as her muscles relaxed.

“Your mum taught me it.” Dani compressed her lips, and Jo felt tears welling up in her eyes. “She would have been so proud of you.”

“I wish she could have been here to see this.”

“Me too.” Dani gave Jo a hug, her warm breath arousing against her neck, and Jo wanted to let her instincts take over, lean in for a kiss.

But then Will poked his head round the dressing room door, and Dani pulled back.

“Curtain in five minutes.”

“We’re just coming.” Jo couldn’t stop the blush from spreading across her cheeks, and Dani fussed with her bowtie, before reapplying her lipstick even though it was immaculate.

It was a deep purple to match her bowtie, vivid compared to her pale skin, and it made her green eyes glow. Although no-one but Jo would be able to see that.

Dani took Jo’s hand, leading her up to the stage, and Jo was sure that without Dani and her calmness, she would be a mess of nerves.

“You can do this.” Dani gave Jo a kiss on the cheek, and in the background Jo could see Will smiling.

“We’re going to give them one hell of a show.” Jo winked at Dani, her confidence flooding in as the curtain pulled up, and she was glad that they had rehearsed the show until she could do it with her eyes closed.

Her mind went on to autopilot, the words flowing from her tongue as she showed off her skills, and the gasps from the audience were addictive.

Alex was there in the front row, cheering and clapping for her, and even if he’d been the only person in the audience, she’d have wanted to put on a good show just for him.

Adding Alex to the long list of people that she needed to thank before the final trick of the evening, she finished showing off the ‘ordinary’ top hat that rabbit Dani was going to appear from, sending the audience member back to their seat as she placed the hat on the table.

Raisins hidden between her fingers, she waited for Dani to hop into her hands, holding her up so the audience could see her, and it was impressive, but it was nothing compared to the new ending.

Jo put Dani down on the stage, and she hopped over to where a large cage was waiting at the edge, covered by a red velvet sheet.

Holding up the edge of the sheet so Dani could hop in, Jo counted to five in her head, waiting for Dani to tap on the bars to say that she was ready.

Jo smiled as she whipped off the sheet to reveal Dani, in her human form, sitting naked in the cage, her arm covering her breasts and her legs crossed in such a way to hide everything else.

They’d considered not doing the trick, since there was no way for Dani to wear clothes and have the trick be believable, but Dani’s smile when the audience inhaled as one, their eyes wide with amazement, made it all worth it.

Jo pushed the cage off stage as Dani waved goodbye to the audience, goose bumps covering every inch of her pale skin.

Will rushed over to let Dani out of the cage, his eyes focused on anything but Dani, and she took the blanket that Jo handed her as she stepped out of the cage.

“This place is freezing.” Dani shivered as she pulled on her suit, and Jo rushed in to give her a hug, trying to send her warm feelings as Will pushed them in the direction of the stage.

“Are you ready for the finale?”

“Yes, are you?” Jo stuck her tongue out, and Will gave her a playful shove.

“My illusions have never failed.”

Jo wandered back out on to the stage, holding Dani’s hand as they took their place in the spotlight.

“I want to thank you all for coming tonight, we wouldn’t be able to do this without you.”

“And we want to say a big thanks to everyone who has helped behind the scenes, including our friends and family.” Dani waved the spotlight in the direction of her parents, and then Jo’s family who were sitting with Alex. Jo blew him a kiss, and he caught it as the crowd kept applauding them.

“In particular there’s one person that we couldn’t do the show without, and that’s my baby brother Will who designs all of these grand illusions.” Jo gestured for Will to come out on stage, and for a change it was his turn to blush, awkwardly shuffling out in front of the crowd as they cheered for him.

Will hurried off the stage, and Jo knew that the time for talking was over.

“And that brings us to the final trick of the evening.” Jo grinned as the audience gasped in amazement at the teleportation device, the lightning flickering around it as the stage hands secured it.

At the back of the theatre, the doors opened, and an identical transporter device was wheeled in.

“Today you are going to see something that defies all known physics, an amazing feat for which there is no logical explanation.”

Dani reached out to touch the transporter, before pulling her hand away as though she’d received an electric shock.

“I am going to transport Dani through space in the blink of an eye with this fantastical transportation machine.”

Dani stepped into the centre of the machine, a simple theatre prop that would have looked perfect in a production of Frankenstein.

“Are you ready?”

Dani nodded, and Jo flipped the big archaic switch, lightning flashing as the spotlight shone down on Dani, so bright that it was hard to see her.

The flashing lights when on for a few seconds, the sound of thunder and lightning rumbling through the theatre, and then, darkness.

Jo held her breath as she waited for the transporter at the back of the theatre to start flashing, and she felt like the entire theatre was holding their breath in sympathy with her.

The transporter lit up, the spotlight focused on Dani, her grin shining out as she held her arms up in triumph.

Jo took a second to catch her breath, practicing the trick and actually performing it in front of a live audience were two different things, and she couldn’t believe how smoothly it had gone.

Dani smiled at her, wandering down the aisle as she shook hands with the audience, soaking up their adoration and applause.

By the time that Dani made her way back on to the stage, Jo was buzzing with excitement, the sound of the audience cheering for them forever etched into her mind.

The adrenaline was surging through her veins, and Jo leant in for a kiss, sweeping Dani off her feet. Dani’s lips felt so soft and plump against her own, and even though it was a chaste kiss, it set Jo’s soul on fire.

Jo felt dizzy as she pulled Dani up, the audience still cheering and clapping as they took a bow, Dani’s dark lipstick smudged around her lips.

“I knew you had it in you.” Dani whispered, her smile growing as she gazed into Jo’s eyes.

“The show or the kiss?”

“Both.”

**Author's Note:**

> *and obviously none of this actually happened, it is all a figment of my twisted imagination ;)


End file.
